


Immortal Shadows

by HermaeusMora21



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: AU, Addiction, Angst, Anti-Hero, Borderline Sociopathic Character, Death, Eclipse AU, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Hurt/Comfort, Imprinting, Loss, Masochism, Mates, Multi, Neutrois Character, Original Character(s), Other, Pansexual Character, Past Torture, Psychological Torture, Romance, Sadism, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Smut, Sociopaths are Fun, Torture, Trauma, True Love, Underage Because Even Edward Is Like 17, Vigilante Murderer, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-05-25 05:17:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14969903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HermaeusMora21/pseuds/HermaeusMora21
Summary: While Carlisle is old, there are vampires that are ancient. Safak, was one such vampire. Carlisle had met during them duringhis youth. Now that there's a newborn army coming for Carlisle's family and the Denali coven has abandoned him, Carlisle decides to make one other call to an old friend. When the Butcher of Jerusalem hears about the threats against the Cullens, they take off to meet them during a training session between them and their shapeshifting allies. When Safak arrives, an imprint occurs between two unlikely people. Eclipse AU, Seth Clearwater/OC.





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DisasterLesbean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisasterLesbean/gifts).



> Thanks to DisasterLesbean who agreed to help me re-write, re-edit, and fix up my Ao3 account after I finished college. This was the first they read to help me. Hopefully, I get this up followed by a re-write of Weep for me Omega and a few oneshots hiding in my Google drive. 
> 
> This story is about a young person whose life shaped them into someone more brutal than their nature would have normally been. While Safak is monstrous in some ways, sadism and the like, they are heroic and kind in other ways. "The Devil isn't evil, he punishes evil" applies very aptly in this story. However, I'm planning on this being a longer story. It will begin with the training scene in Eclipse, but I'm going to slow some things down. This isn't Bella's story, it's Seth's and Safak's. So, instead of rocketing ahead to the wedding, there will be smaller things like dates, movie nights, bonfires, and interpersonal development along the way. 
> 
> All works, pictures, etc on that I will be writing about or using are property of their original creator. I am just writing stories for some fun and no profit whatsoever. The stories themselves might be from my head, but all original characters, etc belong to their original creators. Just a fan here. Seriously, no harm EVER intended.
> 
> Also, love constructive criticism. However, if you flame or troll I will ignore the hit out of you. On the other hand if you have something interesting or meaningful to tell me please feel free!
> 
> If you're looking for quick smut or PWP, this isn't the fic for you. I have others coming up you'd better like. Enjoy, comment, have a good time. -- HM

# Prelude

_Demons run when a good man goes to war_

_Night will fall and drown the sun_

_When a good man goes to war_

_Friendship dies and true love lies_

_Night will fall and the dark will rise_

_When a good man goes to war_

_Demons run, but count the cost_

_The battle's won, but the child is lost_

_When a good man goes to war_

Thirst courses inside inside a vampire’s mind in a way no human could comprehend. You can always try and deprive yourself from blood if your conscience affects you, but it is always there, clawing for every ounce of space in your skull. For near a thousand years, I have dealt with that wretched thrumming, and throughout that I quenched in with the blood of the sinful, the cruel, and every other human monster I could find -- right up until I met Carlisle Cullen. Human, vampire, werewolf; it never mattered what someone was. Everyone has the capacity to be a monster, but when I kill them, I feel a sense of purpose by ridding the world of monsters. I’ve found, monstrosity is relative term.

The decline away from innocence is a natural state, but to tear innocence apart has always repulsed me. Let the other monsters of this world stalk and hunt down the innocent. The most enjoyable of all hunts was to hunt down the monsters that preyed on children. They would kick and scream, and it would be all for naught. Plus, most of these so called predators tend to break something during the frantic running; although, while amusing, it never seemed like justice enough for their victims.

If I was born in this era, I’d have been driven insane. Monsters around every corner, and nothing to be done with them. I’d have been glad to be a human feeding vampire in this age though. Megan’s Law and other databases would make sorting my prey infinitely easier. Sadly, I ran into Carlisle during the Napoleonic Wars, and I’ve not drank a drop of human blood since. I will admit; I’ve killed a lot of people, vampires, and others since then. 

I’ve always hated slavery. I doubt even Carlisle would complain if he knew a few slave ships headed to America disappeared in the mid-Atlantic or that a child killer died in their sleep -- hey, even I could be subtle. Sometimes purging the world of these monsters was more important than my own sadism. I had to stop things like that with the progress of human technology and the Volturi’s insistence, annoying bastards. Killing a shipful of people and returning their victims halfway around the world is, apparently, a little more noticeable these days. 

A near millenia has left me with a unique mindset I think. Morality is such a subjective notion. From the Greeks, to Romans, to the European tribes, to medieval Europe, to the New World, to revolutionary France, to Victorian England, all the way up to the cradle of modernity the concept of what is moral has changed so radically that watching news programs argue about contemporary issues makes me laugh. Some things never change. Political posturing about what is ‘right’ is one of them.

In ancient Greece, relationships between men were quite common accepted. It was annoying that changed. I may not have exactly ‘dated,’ but there were a couple centuries there were my sexuality and notions of gender wasn’t exactly smiled upon; although, some other cultural changes have been kind to me. The vampire in popular culture is supposed to be a sexual being that sappily falls in love with a human teenager, and they are just misunderstood creatures of the night. I love that. In medieval times the accusation of being a vampire would have brought out the torches. Nowadays, that superstitious wariness has dropped substantially, and my fear of being detected has lessened significantly. Honestly, I’m glad that when Bram Stoker is assigned, the majority of the class will sigh and think ‘not another vampire story.’

I’m not a misunderstood love interest with a predilection for brooding. I have torn human -- and not so human -- beings, skin from muscle, muscles from sinew and bone, and limb from limb for my own amusement. To be fair I’m sure some people would consider this to be unimaginably evil, but I’ve found otherwise. Humanity has the capability for egregious evil on its own. If a pedophile cruelly uses a child for their own pleasure, is it evil to mete out justice? This doesn’t mean I believe in an-eye-for-an-eye. Rather, I have my own personal tastes for pleasure. 

The carnage of my youth may have led to an inhuman level of bloodlust, but it was my first few centuries of quietly watching humanity’s cruelty to one another that birthed my interest in one of the other basest of desires; pain. Pain and blood dominated my life for around seven centuries. Pain and suffering are a universal truth in all beings in this world. All of us can and will experience it at some point, but it is pushing that feeling to its extremities where a true understanding of life can be found.

If all creatures could truly come to understand the depths of agony then I honestly believed they would not desire to inflict. Pain is a bitter but necessary medicine for the wicked, and I devoted my life to honing the skills necessary to administering it. That was, until I met Carlisle Cullen. I think the year was 1804, and I think we met somewhere north of Manchester and south of Edinburgh. I fear that I initially horrified him thoroughly, but to be honest I’m glad he pushed that feeling down and tried to befriend me. It had been ages since I had found someone so amiable to converse with. 

When we first met I could see myself in his eyes. At 5’5” and 120 pounds I was not the most impressive being on this world. When I became an immortal, I was about 14 to 16 years old. My human years are fuzzy, but considering my strength and talent for killing, I’m guessing I’m on the older end of that range. I remember I was turned around 1095 AD because the First Crusade had just begun, and physically I am strong enough to kill another vampire thanks to my gift. It would be nice to have a birthday though. My shoulder-length black hair had a natural twist in it that gave it almost a ringlet type curl that sweeps across my face. My eyes were the easiest to see in the reflection though, bright, shining red. I always thought it made a nice combination with my tawny skin. That and my pitch black hair made my eyes glint from under my hair in a way that was both inhumanly beautiful and simply inhuman. Sue me, I’m vain. 

I made no attempts to hide what I was when I met him because I rarely let people, vampire and human alike, see me and live in general -- however, the moment he opened his mouth, I knew I could never bring harm to this man. He asked me the usual things I hear when meeting one of my own kind for the first time. How old are you? Are you all alone (this was the first time I felt genuine empathy instead of feeling like I was being sized up)? When I answer about 14 to 16 and yes, I could see compassion swell behind his eyes. That was also a first. Genuine compassion from a species that literally has to take life to survive is not all that common, but it was welcome, if not needed. After living so long without having genuine kindness given to me so freely, I had forgotten how… content, it could feel. 

Then the questions start to get interesting. He asked me how old I really was, and he found the response “for a long time” to be drolly interesting. However, I had to go on to explain to him that I didn’t consider myself to be old – who would as a teenager, immortal or not – but instead considered myself to be playing with the bounding line between youthful and eldritch. My answer confused him, but then again, he hadn’t been that old back then. I may be ancient, but I was frozen at a young teenage point in life; however, at the same time, that was almost approaching adulthood in my time. 

I’m always amused by assumptions though. I admit to being older than him temporally, but he insisted on an almost patronizing tone with me because of my physical age. Furthermore, it had been annoying as hell when he referred to me as ‘little girl’ once. I had no interest in going into that conversation during the pre-Victorian period, but I swear a bit of cloth and the right body structure and people will assume you are one gender or the other. Not much fluidity in their minds back then -- and still now at times sadly. However, I have never really liked classifications myself. When I was human, there wasn’t even an understanding of hygiene. However, as humans learned, developed, and created, I watched. And I learned. Classifications still do not come easily to me. 

Male, female, sexuality, age; all these mean nothing to me personally. I am Safak, The Butcher of Jerusalem. Nothing more or less. However, it was an interesting talk when I tried to explain this to him. He was an intelligent and forward thinking man, but he was limited in his scope of understanding due to the time. But so was I. Hell, Mary Wollstonecraft died in 1797, and she was one of the first proto-feminists. It wasn’t until the late, late 20th century that academics had the terminology the begin discussing these topics. I am old enough to have seen and admittedly aided in the Crusades (Saladin had a good go there for a while with some extra help), meet Leonardo da Vinci, found undiscovered parts of this world, and watched countless empires rise and fall. And Carlisle had been turned shortly after Shakespeare’s time. His few centuries of biased thought probably didn’t help the conversation. However, I adored him for trying with an open mind. 

For whatever reason I felt the need to explain my beliefs on morality and humanity to him as our conversation went on. I blame the urge on the compassion he showed me and his own admittance of his beliefs. It made me want to share for the first time in a long time. He may not have agreed with my views, at all, but he listened without judgement. I admitted during our long talk that his ‘vegetarian’ way of life was far better than endlessly hunting humans; I’ll admit that he was not only empathetic but quite persuasive. From there the reasonings for my belief in truth found in pain began to crack at its foundation. 

I hunted the wretches of humanity, and I inflicted pain as I saw fit accordingly for centuries. However, after discovering I could live off animals, something I really cannot believe I didn’t think of myself, I realized that meant I wasn’t required to kill people to survive. This left my sadism and bloodlust without clearly defined need and purpose, and to be honest, there’s a difference in sadistically enjoying killing a monster because you have no other choice and doing the same simply for the kicks. Or maybe I grew a bit lazy? Honestly, there’s a lot to do in a world for an immortal, and not having to research if your prey is an asshole takes some time off your hands. Still, when it comes to a fight, I can be enough of a sadist to make dearly beloved, immense sarcasm intended, Jane blush… if she could.

It may shock people like Carlisle to comprehend my motives, but with my lifetime of experience, I find that any sensations are worth exploring. Pain happened to be one of them. The first time I saw a hint at disappointment in those compassionate eyes was when he realized I had the capability to be a class four sadist, but again, he hadn’t seen what I had or lived the hell I had. 

So, I used my meals as a way to explore. However, after I took up Carlisle’s diet, I was no longer forced to hunt humans as a necessary factor of my life. Without that absolute need, I noticed a drop in some of my more sadistic tendencies; rather the frequency I indulged in them dropped. Without the need to feed and the time it took back then to find the wicked -- which was a lot without modern technology to be honest -- I found myself with more free time than I previously had. While I still am a self-admitant sadist, there’s far too much in this world to focus solely on physical sensations and exploration. That, and after a few centuries, you start to run out of crap to do to people. So, I tried to find hobbies. First, I set out travelling. I explored the world, studied its people, and discovered as many secrets as I could. After that, reading, writing, and other entertainments that drew me out of reality were appealing -- after all, once you’ve seen everything, fiction becomes another form of exploration. 

Plus, I’ve come to love modern conveniences. Television, video games, hot tubs, air conditioning, pornography, Amazon, computers, and satellite telephones ranked amongst my favorite human inventions. Did I mention hot tubs? Horror, science fiction, fantasy, video-games, comics, novels, and movies… humanity has created a massive amount of escapist material that I won’t be able to go through even with my immortality. Sadly, depending on your viewpoint, I had to further dampen my sadism for the sake of exploring these entertainments. However, there is occasionally some idiot vampire that wants to test themselves against The Butcher of Jerusalem. Anyone stupid enough to try that is just begging to get their ass tortured in my opinion. 

A few decades ago, I bought a massive amount of land in Canada’s Northwest Territories. I was relatively near the Denali’s, and I was able to create a place -- a compound rather -- to live. A large wall surrounds the immediate area that I live, with a significant security system. Outside of that, I have a small lake and forest in my property, but the majority of my actual living space is underground. Within the walls, I have a mansion that looks like a large Tahoe styled home above ground with an immense underground facility. Altogether, you have a great vegetarian vampire dwelling. Plus, I’ve come to love modern conveniences. Television, video games, hot tubs, air conditioning, pornography, Amazon, computers, and satellite telephones ranked amongst my favorite human inventions. 

Eventually during our discussions, Carlisle noticed things about my physiology that were not typical of the average vampire. However, since he had gotten past my penchant for flaying I decided to be honest with him.

I told him of my youth in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and how being as old as I am creates a slightly ethereal appearance, like with the Volturi or Romanians. The First Crusade brought more than crusaders to the Holy Lands. Vampires in ages past were drawn to wars; wars were open season for hunting without discrimination. However, there is a reason the Volturi banned this practice -- me. When a vampire gorges endlessly, there is a miniscule chance that in their blood-fever, they might move from one victim to another without killing them. I told him about the pain while I hid myself underneath the desert sand, he understood that all too well. He mentioned that he met others as old as me, the Volturi, and I told him of my past with them. 

Vampires in Central America think they created the idea of a vampiric army. They were sadly mistaken. 

From about 1095 AD to 1200 AD, the Holy Lands were soaked in blood. The humans may have started it, but our kind brought the carnage to its climax. When I awoke as a vampire, I noticed my gift immediately. I had no words back then to describe it to Carlisle, but modern fiction writers have helped this type of taxonomizing. Intangibility. Astral Projection. I can move my body through other objects, and when I solidify, it pushes matter outward from mine. Makes killing vampires without gifts rather easy. Even a vampire needs a brain to move, and with my gift I can phase my hand inside their skull, re-materialize, and rip my arm out.  
When I use my gift, it feels like my body cannot stay in one place. I vibrate in a dozen instances at once. Within a week of turning, my ability saved my life. Vampires had become territorial, much like in Central America today. The first group I met tried to kill me. Apparently, it is hard to kill something you can’t touch. 

And so began the next two centuries. Armies would be created and decimated in a cyclical orchestra of annihilation. I never needed an army. I could wipe out a dozen vampires without a hint of a struggle. I also dabbled in balancing the scales on the human side; however, I don’t like killing the innocent. And while some may say no soldier is innocent, there is a difficult line there I don’t cross. However, some of the more… perversely brutal officers in the army? They were open game for me. Plus, moral is huge in war. Finding your officer flayed on a rack and hung by his intestines creates some desertion apparently. However, all things eventually come to a climax.

Thus came Johannes. He was the first of my kind that I found with an ability, tracking. He used it to survive the destruction of his first, second, and third covens. After a time, I became his mission in life, most likely after I killed his mate. He created army after army and used his gift to find me each time. The final army he brought to me consisted of 87 vampires. Even with my gift, it was mayhem. I killed them, but they decimated several villages in the sprawling battle. I couldn’t keep the newborns off of the humans, to my genuine dismay.

When I finally killed Johannes, I found myself confronted by the Volturi. They decreed that every vampire in the Holy Lands was to be cleansed, and I was one of the chief culprits of the destruction. 

Jane. I told Carlisle of her gift, and the darkening of his eyes spoke enough for me to know he saw firsthand the horror of her gift. It was the first time in my immortal life I felt pain, but the moment I became intangible, the pain went away. The Volturi and I danced like this for about a week straight. They would use their gifts on me, and I would become intangible to avoid it. I couldn’t kill them, and they couldn’t kill me.

After a time, their leaders decided to try diplomacy instead, rather, Aro decided. I showed him my memories, and he saw it all; a human life of neglect, abuse, and starvation; a life of vampirism where I never rested, always awaiting the next battle. He offered me peace. Leave the carnage and let the Volturi finish cleansing the vampires from this war, and they would forgive my transgressions. I sometimes wonder why he didn’t offer me a position with them, but if he truly can see into the hearts and minds of others, he no doubt wanted me as far from him as possible. I know his type. Dictators hiding behind white hats. Aro is a monster with an alabaster smile. If he and his ‘dear ones’ were humans, I’d have hunted them with extreme prejudice and savored every wonderful moment of it. If I had stayed with him, it’d have only been to figure out how to inevitably kill him. This truce was his way of putting distance between something that could threaten his beloved coven.

Carlisle listened to every minute detail of my story. Unlike Aro, he asked me about my reasons, drives, and desires. He wanted to understand why I killed so many. I can count those I consider friends on a single hand. And Carlisle Cullen became the very first of my friends after that day. He invited me along with him and offered to help me transition into a new way of life. I refused. He had his own life to explore, and I didn’t dare join him. I was poison. I still am to some degree. But at that time, I would have not been the company he needed, despite his desire to help me. Over the decades since he left to the Americas, I have occasionally made contact with him. The Denali coven became immensely useful to that point. They were always in the same general location, yet they had the means of contacting Carlisle.  
A few years ago, after I built my house, I gave my satellite phone number to the Denalis with instructions to pass it on to Carlisle, in case he had an emergency. He is the only person to every use my phone number. He’s called a few times, and I look forward to our conversations. That’s why I’m delighted right now. My phone is currently ringing. 

“Hello Carlisle, how is your family? Where have you moved to now,” I ask with genuine interest. 

“Hello old friend,” he replied with a far too tired tone for an immortal. “We are living in Forks, Washington at the moment. As to how we are, that’s why I am calling. I’ve already called the Tanya, and the Denalis have declined to help us.”

“Help you?” I asked him. It is unlike Carlisle to get into trouble and unlike the Denalis to be willing to help him. 

“Yes. Recently, things have been a bit on the unpleasant side, particularly for my son Edward. Would you like the short or long story?” he asked me. 

“Short. Always give the short story first Carlisle. It’s more dramatic,” I replied with a bit of mirth.

“Edward is mated to a human girl. The Volturi are threatening us based on her knowledge of our kind. And a newborn army has been created in Seattle with the intention of wiping out my family,” he said with one of the weariest tones I had ever heard.

“If I push myself, I can be there in about thirteen to fourteen hours. Anything I should know or can I head out now?” I asked in a blur. Carlisle is too kind, and while I haven’t met them, I doubt any of his family have seen the damage a vampiric army can unleash.

“Yes,” he replied, “there are shapeshifters in the area. They have agreed to help us, but we cannot enter there land. You can approach from the east, but don’t cross the Quileute tribal lands. We are preparing a training session with them if you can make it.”

“I’ll make it. I’m on my way” I replied quickly as I hung up. Damn it Carlisle. What have you gotten yourself into? Shit. Well, at least it looks like I’m going to be killing some vampires sometime soon.


	2. Chapter One: Instruction and Imprinting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Safak arrives in time for the training session with the wolves and an imprinting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DisasterLesbean who agreed to help me re-write, re-edit, and fix up my Ao3 account after I finished college. This was the first they read to help me. Hopefully, I get this up followed by a re-write of Weep for me Omega and a few oneshots hiding in my Google drive.
> 
> All works, pictures, etc on that I will be writing about or using are property of their original creator. I am just writing stories for some fun and no profit whatsoever. The stories themselves might be from my head, but all original characters, etc belong to their original creators. Just a fan here. Seriously, no harm EVER intended.
> 
> Also, love constructive criticism. However, if you flame or troll I will ignore you. On the other hand if you have something interesting or meaningful to tell me please feel free!
> 
> If you're looking for quick smut or PWP, this isn't the fic for you. I have others coming up you'd better like. Enjoy, comment, have a good time. -- HM

# Chapter One: Instruction and Imprinting

### Bella’s POV

It’s bad enough - horrible - that the Cullens would fight for me. It was already too much that I would have to allow that. It already felt like more than I could bear. 

Not Jacob, too. Not his foolish, eager brothers - most of them even younger than I was. They were just oversized, over-muscled children, and they looked forward to this like it was a picnic on the beach. I couldn’t have them in danger, too. And now Carlisle has called one of his friends to help us as well… This has gotten out of control. My nerves feel frayed and exposed. I don’t know how much longer I can restrain the urge to scream out loud. 

I whispered now, to keep my voice under control. "You're taking me with you tonight." 

"Bella, you're worn out," Edward told with with a concerned face. 

"You think I could sleep?" I replied. I know he doesn't want me anywhere near this training session, but this is one argument he isn’t going to win. 

He frowned. "This is an experiment. I'm not sure if it will be possible for us all to…  
cooperate. And I’ve never actually met Carlisle’s friend Safak. We have no clue how good their control is. I don't want you in the middle of that." 

As if that didn't make me all the more anxious to go. "If you won't take me, then I'll call Jacob," I replied now with my voice fully under control. 

His eyes tightened. That was a low blow, and I knew it. But there was no way I was being left behind. He didn't answer me, but I know I’m going now. We were at Charlie's house now, and the front light was on. 

"See you upstairs," I muttered. I might feel bad, but he’s being overly protective. If low blows are the only way to get him to take my wishes seriously, then low blows it is for now.

I tiptoed in the front door. Charlie was asleep in the living room, overflowing the too-small sofa, and snoring so loudly I could have ripped a chainsaw to life and it wouldn't have wakened him. 

I shook his shoulder vigorously. 

"Dad! Charlie!" 

He grumbled, eyes still closed. 

"I'm home now - you're going to hurt your back sleeping like that. C'mon, time to move," I prodded him. 

It took a few more shakes, and his eyes never did open all the way, but I managed to get him off the couch. I helped him up to his bed, where he collapsed on top of the covers, fully dressed, and started snoring again. 

Well, this is convenient. He isn’t going to be looking for me anytime soon. 

Edward waited in my room while I washed my face and changed into jeans and a flannel shirt. He watched me unhappily from the rocking chair as I hung the outfit Alice had given me in my closet. 

"Come here," I said, taking his hand and pulling him to my bed. 

I pushed him down on the bed and then curled up against his chest. He may have had a grumpy look on his face, but he was more than willing to be cuddled. Maybe he was right and I was tired enough to sleep, but I wasn't about to let him sneak off without me. 

He tucked my quilt in around me, and then held me close. I know he was trying to keep me warm, but skin on skin was feeling good. 

"Please relax," he hummed into my ear. 

"Sure," I reply trying to focus on how good it feels with him wrapped around me instead of the carnage that is coming straight for me and those I love.

"This is going to work, Bella. I can feel it." I can hear the light smile resting on his lips. 

My teeth locked together. He was still radiating relief. Nobody but me cared if Jacob and his friends got hurt. Not even Jacob and his friends. Especially not them. He could tell I was about to lose it. 

"Listen to me, Bella. This is going to be easy. The newborns will be completely taken by surprise. They'll have no more idea that werewolves even exist than you did. I've seen how they act in a group, the way Jasper remembers. I truly believe that the wolves' hunting techniques will work flawlessly against them. And with them divided and confused, there won't be enough for the rest of us to do. With the seven of us and Carlisle’s friend, someone may have to sit out," he teased. 

"Piece of cake," I mumbled tonelessly against his chest. 

"Shhh," he stroked my cheek. "You'll see. Don't worry now." 

He started humming my lullaby, but, for once, it didn't calm me. 

People - well, vampires and werewolves really, but still - people I love were going to get hurt. Hurt because of me. Again, I wished my bad luck would focus a little more carefully. I felt like yelling up at the empty sky. It's me you want - over here! Just me! 

I tried to think of a way that I could do exactly that - force my bad luck to focus on me. It wouldn't be easy. I would have to wait, bide my time… This would feel different if I was already a vampire. Having the power to physically protect the people I love, to be there for them would make me a lot more relaxed.

I didn’t fall asleep. The minutes passed quickly, to my surprise, and I was still alert and tense when Edward pulled us both up into a sitting position. 

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and sleep?" He encourage one last time.

I gave him a withering look. 

He sighed, and pulled out his phone. I gave him a look.

“I am going to call Carlisle and let him know you’re coming. I do not want his friend to pick up your scent without expecting it,” he quickly told me. The memory of James flickered unbidden across the mind. I shuddered when remembering the last time a strange vampire got interested in my scent. He scooped me up in his arms before jumping from my window. 

He raced through the black, quiet forest with me on his back, and even in his run I could feel the elation. He ran the way he did when it was just us, just for enjoyment, just for the feel of the wind in his hair. It was the kind of thing that, during less anxious times, would have made me happy. 

When we got to the big open field, his family was there minus Carlisle, talking casually, relaxed. Emmett's booming laugh echoed through the wide space now and then. Edward set me down and we walked hand in hand toward them. 

It took me a minute, because it was so dark with the moon hidden behind the clouds, but I realized that we were in the baseball clearing. It was the same place where, more than a year ago, that first lighthearted evening with the Cullens had been interrupted by James and his coven. It felt strange to be here again - as if this gathering wouldn't be complete until James and Laurent and Victoria joined us. But James and Laurent were never coming back. That pattern wouldn't be repeated. But we still had a strange vampire coming soon. 

Yes, someone had broken out of their pattern. Was it possible that the Volturi were the  
flexible ones in this equation? 

I doubted it. They were too rigid in their rules. They wouldn’t be this sloppy.

Victoria had always seemed like a force of nature to me - like a hurricane moving toward the coast in a straight line - unavoidable, implacable, but predictable. Maybe it was wrong to limit her that way. She had to be capable of adaptation. 

"You know what I think?" I asked Edward. 

He laughed. "No." I almost smiled. "What do you think?" He asked with a grin.

"I think it' all connected. Not just the two, but all three." 

"You've lost me." 

"Three bad things have happened since you came back." I ticked them off on my fingers. "The newborns in Seattle. The stranger in my room. And - first of all - Victoria came to look for me." 

His eyes narrowed as he thought about it. "Why do you think so?" 

"Because I agree with Jasper - the Volturi love their rules, they’re too rigid. They would probably do a far more efficient and professional job anyway." And I'd be dead if they wanted me dead, I added mentally. "Remember when you were tracking Victoria last year?" 

"Yes." He frowned. "I wasn't very good at it." 

"Alice said you were in Texas. Did you follow her there?" 

His eyebrows pulled together. "Yes. Hmm…” 

"See - she could have gotten the idea there. But she doesn't know what she's doing, so the newborns are all out of control," I said with growing intensity. 

He started shaking his head. "Only Aro knows exactly how Alice's visions work." 

"Aro would know best, but wouldn't Tanya and Irina and the rest of your friends in Denali know enough? Laurent lived with them a long time. And if he was still friendly enough with Victoria to be doing favors for her, why wouldn't he also tell her everything he knew? I doubt spying for her was beneath him,” I said with disdain for the man.

"It wasn't Victoria in your room,” Edward frowned. 

"She can't make new friends? Think about it, Edward. If it’s Victoria doing this in Seattle, she's made a lot of new friends. She's created them." I explained, becoming more and more sure that this theory makes the most sense.

He considered it with his forehead creased in concentration. 

"Hmm," he finally said. "It's possible. I still think the Volturi are most likely… But your  
theory - there's something there.” I couldn’t help the smile that crept on my face. “Victoria's personality. Your theory suits her personality perfectly. She's shown a remarkable gift for self-preservation from the start - maybe it's a talent of hers. In any case, this plot would put her in no danger at all from us, if she sits safely behind and lets the newborns wreak their havoc here. And maybe little danger from the Volturi, either. Perhaps she's counting on us to win, in the end, though certainly not without heavy casualties of our own. But no survivors from her little army to bear witness against her. In fact," he continued, thinking it through, "if there were survivors, I'd bet she'd be planning to destroy them herself. . . . Hmm. Still, she'd have to have at least one friend who was a bit more mature. No fresh-made newborn left your father alive…” 

He frowned into space for a long moment, and then suddenly smiled at me, coming back from his reverie. "Definitely possible. Regardless, we've got to be prepared for anything until we know for sure. You're very perceptive," he added. "It's impressive," he added with a warm smile.

I sighed. "Maybe I'm just reacting to this place. It makes me feel like she's close by… like  
she sees me now." 

His jaw muscles tensed at the idea. "She'll never touch you, Bella," he almost spat through his teeth. A lot of hate going Victoria’s way right now. I have a feeling he could rip through walls made of vampire bones if it meant she was on the other side.

In spite of his words, his eyes swept carefully across the dark trees. While he searched their shadows, the strangest expression crossed his face. His lips pulled back over his teeth and his eyes shone with an odd light - a wild, fierce kind of hope. 

"Yet, what I wouldn't give to have her that close," he murmured. "Victoria, and anyone else who's ever thought of hurting you. To have the chance to end this myself. To finish it with my own hands this time." 

I shuddered at the ferocious longing in his voice, and clenched his fingers more tightly with mine, wishing I was strong enough to lock our hands together permanently. He sometimes thinks he’s more immortal or unbreakable than he really is. Volterra brought how fragile he still is to the forefront. I mean, he isn’t fragile in general, but he can still be brought down by others. No one is truly immortal. No one lives forever.

We were almost to his family, and I noticed for the first time that Alice did not look as  
optimistic as the others. She stood a little aside, watching Jasper stretching his arms as if he were warming up to exercise, her lips pushed out in a pout. 

"Is something wrong with Alice?" I whispered. 

Edward chuckled, himself again. "The werewolves are on their way, so she can't see anything that will happen now. It makes her uncomfortable to be blind." 

Alice, although the farthest from us, heard his low voice. She looked up and stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed again. 

"Hey, Edward," Emmett greeted him. "Hey, Bella. Is he going to let you practice, too?" 

"Please, Emmett, don't give her any ideas," Edward groaned at his brother. 

"When will our guests arrive?" Esme asked Edward. 

Edward concentrated for a moment, and then sighed. "A minute and a half. But I'm going to have to translate. They don't trust us enough to use their human forms. And Carlisle will arrive with his friend about a minute after that." 

Emse nodded. "This is hard for them. I'm grateful they're coming at all." 

I stared at Edward, my eyes stretched wide. "They're coming as wolves?" 

He nodded, cautious of my reaction. I swallowed once, remembering the two times I'd seen Jacob in his wolf form -- the first time in the meadow with Laurent, the second time on the forest lane where Paul had gotten angry at me. They were both terrifying memories. 

A strange gleam came into Edward's eyes, as though something had just occurred to him, something that was not altogether unpleasant. He turned away quickly, before I could see any more, back to Esme and the others. 

"Prepare yourselves - they've been holding out on us," Edward called out. 

"What do you mean?" Alice demanded. 

"Shh," he cautioned, and stared past her into the darkness. 

The Cullens' informal circle suddenly widened out into a loose line with Jasper and Emmett at the spear point. From the way Edward leaned forward next to me, I could tell that he wished he was standing beside them. I tightened my hand around his. 

I squinted toward the forest, seeing nothing. 

"Damn," Emmett muttered under his breath. "Did you ever see anything like it?" 

Esme and Rosalie exchanged a wide-eyed glance. 

"What is it?" I whispered as quietly as I could. "I can't see." 

"The pack has grown," Edward murmured into my ear. 

Hadn't I told him that Quil had joined the pack? I strained to see the six wolves in the gloom. Finally, something glittered in the blackness - their eyes, higher up than they should be. I'd forgotten how very tall the wolves were. Like horses, only thick with muscle and fur - and teeth like knives, impossible to overlook. 

I could only see the eyes. And as I scanned, straining to see more, it occurred to me that there were more than six pairs facing us. One, two, three… I counted the pairs swiftly in my head. Twice. 

There were ten of them. 

"Fascinating," Edward murmured almost silently. 

Esme took a slow, deliberate step forward. It was a careful movement, designed to  
reassure. 

"Welcome," she greeted the invisible wolves with her natural warm coating her voice. It was hard not to feel welcome and comfortable around her. 

"Thank you," Edward responded in a strange, flat tone, and I realized at once that the words came from Sam. I looked to the eyes shining in the center of the line, the highest up, the tallest of them all. It was impossible to separate the shape of the big black wolf from the darkness. Edward spoke again in the same detached voice, speaking Sam's words. "We will watch and listen, but no more. That is the most we can ask of our self-control." 

"That is more than enough," Carlisle voice rang out from the trees behind us as he closed in on Esme, no doubt eager to be near his wife. "My son Jasper" - Jasper stood, tensed and ready - "has experience in this area. He will teach us how they fight, how they are to be defeated. I'm sure you can apply this to your own hunting style." 

"They are different from you? And who is this with you?" Edward asked for Sam with caution hinting in his otherwise flat voice. 

Carlisle nodded. "They are all very new - only months old to this life. Children, in a way. They will have no skill or strategy, only brute strength. Tonight their numbers stand at twenty. Ten for us, ten for you - it shouldn't be difficult. The numbers may go down. The new ones fight amongst themselves and often. As for who this is beside me, this is an old friend of mine, Safak. Safak feeds on the blood of animals, and he was more than willing to come help us in our hour of need." -- “Unlike others,” Rosalie spat out quietly, the Denalis betrayal no doubt forefront in her mind. 

As they approached Esme, I began to see them. The looked an odd pair as they approached. Safak was significantly shorter than Carlisle, at least a little over a half a foot. They had a black hoodie on, at least I think it was a hoodie. The sides were cut out, almost like a poncho, with the arm sleeves white. They had on baggy looking, black cargo pants that were tucked into a pair of black combat boots. It reminded me of casual clothes that came out of one of Alice’s designer catalogues. I could see black, ringlet hair falling out from the oversized hood and covering most of their face, but the only facial feature I could make out was a neon gold eye that rapidly darted across the field, figure to figure. I still wasn’t sure if they were a boy or girl from their clothes and body size.

A rumble passed down the shadowy line of wolves, a low growling mutter that somehow managed to sound enthusiastic for the upcoming fight and wary of this new stranger. 

"We are willing to kill more than our share, if necessary," Edward translated, his tone less indifferent now. “We will not have a problem with this vampire if they feed off of animals, but they will be held to the treaty, the same as you and your family.”

Carlisle smiled. "We'll see how it plays out. And Safak has agreed to follow the treaty, as well help us fend off the newborns."

“I give you my word, I will never harm an innocent. And while I am here in Forks, I will abide by your treaty with Carlisle. He is my dearest friend; I’d be loath to upset him.” I was surprised to hear Safak’s voice. They must have been turned young, around fifteen or sixteen. Their voice didn’t break, but it sounded light and airy with a carefree tone. 

“And forgive my manners old friend. These are the Quileute wolves, and this is my family; my wife Esme; my sons Edward, Emmett, and Jasper; and my daughters Rosalie, Alice, and Bella,” Carlisle told Safak as he gestured to each of us. I felt a rush of warmth for him as he referred to me as his daughter. I also felt Safak’s attention brought down upon me. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. You especially Bella. I doubt I’ve ever met someone with as lethal luck as you possess,” they said cheerily to me, their exposed golden eye glinting with humor. 

“Thank you. Hopefully my bad luck runs out soon. I think newborn army is about as bad as you can get,” I replied with dark mirth. Safak returned my smile. Out of all my interactions with vampires, perhaps including the Cullens other than Carlisle and Esme, this is probably the most comfortable first meeting I’ve experienced.

Sam nodded "Do you know when and how they'll arrive?" Edward translated. 

"They'll come across the mountains in four days, in the late morning. As they approach, Alice will help us intercept their path," Carlisle replied 

"Thank you for the information. We will watch." 

With a sighing sound, the eyes sank closer to the ground one set at a time. 

It was silent for two heartbeats, and then Jasper took a step into the empty space between the vampires and the wolves. It wasn't hard for me to see him - his skin was as bright against the darkness as the wolves' eyes. Jasper threw a wary glance toward Edward, who nodded, and then Jasper turned his back to the werewolves. He sighed, clearly uncomfortable. 

"Carlisle's right." Jasper spoke only to us; he seemed to be trying to ignore the audience  
behind him. "They'll fight like children. The two most important things you'll need to  
remember are, first, don't let them get their arms around you and, second, don't go for the obvious kill. That's all they'll be prepared for. As long as you come at them from the side and keep moving, they'll be too confused to respond effectively. Emmett?" 

Emmett stepped out of the line with a huge smile. 

Jasper backed toward the north end of the opening between the allied enemies. He waved Emmett forward. 

"Okay, Emmett first. He's the best example of a newborn attack." 

Emmett's eyes narrowed. "I'll try not to break anything," he muttered a bit sorely. 

Jasper grinned. "What I meant is that Emmett relies on his strength. He's very straightforward about the attack. The newborns won't be trying anything subtle, either. Just go for the easy kill, Emmett." 

Jasper backed up a few more paces, his body tensing. 

"Okay, Emmett - try to catch me." 

And I couldn't see Jasper anymore - he was a blur as Emmett charged him like a bear,  
grinning while he snarled. Emmett was impossibly quick, too, but not like Jasper. It looked like Jasper had no more substance than a ghost -- any time it seemed Emmett's big hands had him for sure, Emmett's fingers clenched around nothing but the air. Beside me, Edward leaned forward intently, his eyes locked on the brawl. Then Emmett froze. 

Jasper had him from behind, his teeth an inch from his throat. 

Emmett cussed loud enough to boom across the field. 

There was a muttered rumble of impressed appreciation from the watching wolves. 

"Again," Emmett insisted, his smile gone. 

"It's my turn," Edward protested. My fingers tensed around his. 

"In a minute." Jasper grinned, stepping back. "I want to show Bella something first." 

I watched with anxious eyes as he waved Alice forward. 

"I know you worry about her," he explained to me as she danced blithely into the ring. "I want to show you why that's not necessary." 

Though I knew that Jasper would never allow any harm to come to Alice, it was still hard to watch as he sank back into a crouch facing her. Alice stood motionlessly, looking tiny as a doll after Emmett, smiling to herself. Jasper shifted forward, then slinked to her left. 

Alice closed her eyes. 

My heart thumped unevenly as Jasper stalked toward where Alice stood. 

Jasper sprang, disappearing. Suddenly he was on the other side of Alice. She didn't appear to have moved. 

Jasper wheeled and launched himself at her again, only to land in a crouch behind her like the first time; all the while Alice stood smiling with her eyes closed. 

I watched Alice more carefully now. 

She was moving - I'd just been missing it, distracted by Jasper's attacks. She took a small step forward at the exact second that Jasper's body flew through the spot where she'd just been standing. She took another step, while Jasper's grasping hands whistled past where her waist had been. 

Jasper closed in, and Alice began to move faster. She was dancing - spiraling and twisting and curling in on herself. Jasper was her partner, lunging, reaching through her graceful patterns, never touching her, like every movement was choreographed. Finally, Alice laughed. 

Out of nowhere she was perched on Jasper's back, her lips at his neck. 

"Gotcha," she said, and kissed his throat. 

Jasper chuckled, shaking his head. "You truly are one frightening little monster." 

The wolves muttered again. This time the sound was wary. 

"It's good for them to learn some respect," Edward murmured, amused. Then he spoke  
louder. "My turn." 

“Not quite yet,” Jasper replied. “We’ve practiced before, and I want to make sure that I have a grasp of our fighting strength. Safak, would you be willing to come practice next?”

I turned to look around at Carlisle and Safak. Carlisle had an apprehensive body posture, like he didn’t know what to say, and Safak had a bemused look on their face.

“Of course Mr. Whitlock, I’d love to spar with you. But I have past experience with newborn tactics, so we can skip that part,” Safak replied as they slowly approached Jasper. I felt horrible now that I saw them. They look so young, and they have no stake in this. One more person I’m endangering. Wait… they have experience with newborns?

“You’ve been down south?” Jasper asked, mimicking my interest in that fact.

“Yes and no. I’ve been throughout the world, but I’ve helped clean up Central America’s covens a few times when the Volturi were too slow to act,” Safak replied. What do they mean? I thought the South was a warzone between vampire covens, and the Volturi were the ones that cleaned up the Southern covens.

“Are you a member of the Volturi?” Edward asked with a strained tone. Great. I trust Carlisle; he wouldn’t have invited someone who’d be a threat to us, but the idea that a member of the Volturi was now standing next to me was tense. 

“Fuck no,” Safak replied with a cheery voice and a bemused smile. For a moment their demeanor reminded me of Luna Lovegood from those Harry Potter books. I saw Edward and Jasper relax, but Jasper was still confused. 

“Then how do you have experience with newborns? Only the Volturi executed the Southern covens,” Jasper inquired.

“No. Only the Volturi got the credit for it. But I occasionally executed a few covens. Mostly, I went after the smarter ones, the covens that were powerful but knew not to piss off the Volturi. I recently wiped out Maria’s coven. I’m rather glad you weren’t with her at the time. Like I said, I’m loath to upset Carlisle,” Safak answered. This still made no sense. One vampire can’t wipe out an entire coven unless they had Volturi level powers. I saw Jasper get silent at my side. I don’t think he was expecting to hear Maria had died.

“Maria is dead then,” Jasper asked quietly. Safak looked over at Jasper, their one visible eye piercing Jasper.

“Yes. I’m sorry if that news troubles you, but she was a monster. Hundreds if not thousands have died because of her avarice and gluttony. I was simply cleaning house,” Safak replied.

“I understand,” Jasper replied with a slightly pained tone, “but how? She was far from an easy target.” Safak made a small smile, or at least I think it was a smile, their hair still blocked half of their face. I felt Edward go rigid beside me and pull me into his side.

“He’s the Butcher of Jerusalem! Carlisle, you invited one of our kinds most brutal warlords in vampiric entire history -- to help us?” Edward asked in a rushed hiss. At this, the wolves began to grumble rapidly between each other and began to shift from their prone positions. I hadn’t heard of this Butcher of Jerusalem from the Cullens. I feel like I’m missing something important here. 

“Are you sure?” Jasper whipped his head towards Edward. His eyes were alight with fear, panic, and possible excitement. 

“I’m sure. Safak thought it clearly and deliberately,” Edward said, now completely wrapping his arms around me.

“My my Carlisle, you’ve raised some overly dramatic children. I warned you about the long term psychological impact that repeating high school might have on them. The boy plucked a thought from my head and spun a dramatic scene out of it before even letting me reply,” Safak said about Edward with a patronizing tone. “Yes, I’m the Butcher of Jerusalem. The largest coven I’ve destroyed was during the Crusades at 87 vampires. I’ve killed 879 vampires, 47 werewolves, and participated in the exorcism of an actual demon. Now that is a story best told in the light of day, but I digress. Right now, I’m here to help,” Safak replied with their hands extended outward, palms facing upward. Their body posture was trying to placate Jasper and Edward while answering their questions, but hearing how many vampires Safak had killed didn’t help put anyone at ease. By now, everyone was getting extremely tense.

“Safak is one of my oldest and closest friends, even closer to me than the Denalis. While you all have not met Safak before, I can vouch for them. Safak is here to help us, and they also happen to be one of the more powerful vampires in our world. So, let’s all calm down and hear what Safak and Jasper have to teach us about fighting newborns,” Carlisle interjected during the tense silence. Every word he uttered, rang with reassurance -- even the wolves seemed more at ease.

“All right then, shall we begin?” Jasper asked Safak. Safak nodded and began to take their place at the opposite end of the field.

I was distracted by the sounds the wolves were making. They seemed to be chuckling. I looked to Edward to see why, and he had a wry look on his face. 

“They think we’re bluffing about Safak being as powerful as they are. They think that Sakak is a little kid, and that Jasper is about to humiliate them,” Edward explained to me. I had to agree with the wolves, Safak looked small and vulnerable. Edward continued, “but Safak is one of the most powerful vampires in history. If the Volturi represent a vampiric government then Safak is our boogeyman. In fact, a lot of human myths are based on them. El Cucuy, the Baba Yaga, Babau, and even Krampus are partly based on Safak. Safak is the predator that hunts other monsters on behalf of the meek and innocent.”

“Wait, them? And how have I not heard about these stories before,” I asked Edward with an exasperated look.

“I’ll tell you the stories about Safak tonight, and yes, them, I saw some things in Carlisle’s thoughts. While it may be personal, I’d use them and they pronouns. Oh, they’re about to start,” Edward rushed out almost to fast to follow. Well, I guess one benefit of having a mindreading boyfriend is not accidentally misgendering ancient vampire warlords.

“Powers or no powers?” Safak asked Jasper.

“Would you go into a real fight without your powers?” Jasper retorted. A wicked smile went across Safak’s face, which I could now fully see as they pulled down their hoodie. I was about right for their age. With their hoodie down I could see a petite teenager with long, shoulder length black hair. Their skin looked tawny, but it looked light and powdery as well from their vampirism. It reminded me of a healthier looking version of Aro’s powdery skin. 

Then… things got weird. Safak started to look like a ghost. Their silhouette was vibrating constantly. It looked like a dozen versions of them existed in one spot, and all of them vibrated in and out of the original. Edward was right about Safak being like the boogeyman. They reminded me of a phantom flitting in and out of reality or maybe multiple version of them in different states of matter.

I saw Jasper take off towards Safak as quick as a lightning strike. If I thought Jasper looked like a ghost before, then Safak was a phantom made of mist. They flitted across the field towards Jasper. Every movement was confusing. It looked as though there were multiple versions of Safak moving across the field in different ways, but once the real Safak moved in a direction, the others followed. They were on Jasper within milliseconds after this. 

I could barely tell that Safak was briefly having parts of their body become corporeal in order to strike Jasper. They must not be able to interact with physical objects unless they are solid. Jasper was a quicker learner than me. Within seconds, Jasper began blocking Safak’s blows. It looked like a torrent of strikes came his direction, but he managed to block or dodge most of them. While he was forced on the defensive, Jasper’s ability to defend himself from this onslaught displayed the full extent of his combat experience. 

And then it was over. Safak went through him. They had moved through Jasper like a ghost in a horror movie. Except it looked like his hand was still inside the back of Jasper’s chest cavity.

“You’re dead,” Safak chimed with a wide cheshire grin.

“So I am,” Jasper let out, “I hadn’t expected your power. And I doubt there’s anything I could teach you to be honest. Why didn’t you go for the kill from the beginning? There’s almost no way to block that attack, other than running.”

“What would have been the fun in an execution? I haven’t had a real fight in centuries. And that’s all right,’ Safak said, still smiling, “I’m sure your siblings could use the attention instead. There’s a difference between thinking you can fight because you feel powerful and actually being able to survive in a vampiric warzone. Why not have Edward come practice with you while I keep Bella company?” I could see Emmett huff under his breath at the insinuation that he needed instruction on how to fight.

If the wolves look hesitantly impressed at Jasper, then they looked downright in terrified awe of Safak. Not sure if that is a good thing for the tentative alliance we all have at the moment.

Edward squeezed my hand before he let it go.

Alice came to take his place beside me. "Cool, huh?" she asked me smugly.

"Very," I agreed, not looking away from Edward as he glided noiselessly toward Jasper, his movements lithe and watchful as a jungle cat. 

"I've got my eye on you, Bella," she whispered suddenly, her voice pitched so low that I  
could barely hear, though her lips were at my ear. 

My gaze flickered to her face and then back to Edward. He was intent on Jasper, both of them feinting as he closed the distance. 

Alice's expression was full of reproach. 

"I'll warn him if your plans get any more defined," she threatened in the same low murmur. "It doesn't help anything for you to put yourself in danger. Do you think either of them would give up if you died? They'd still fight, we all would. You can't change anything, so just be good, okay?" 

I grimaced, trying to ignore her.

"I'm watching," she repeated as Safak took the position to my other side. Normally, being sandwiched between two vampires, one of which I didn’t know, would be unsettling, but Safak has a quiet, calming presence at the moment. That and Carlisle’s vehement defense of him was convincing. Knowing Carlisle, there was no way he’d let someone who was a threat near his family with that glowing of an endorsement.

Edward had closed in on Jasper now, and this fight was more even than any of the others. Jasper had the century of experience to guide him, and he tried to go on instinct alone as much as he could, but his thoughts always gave him away a fraction of a second before he acted. Edward was slightly faster, but the movements Jasper used were unfamiliar to him. They came at each other again and again, neither one able to gain the advantage, instinctive snarls erupting constantly. It was hard to watch, but harder to look away. 

“Exciting isn’t it?” I jumped as Safak’s soft voice jolted me into reality. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” they replied with a bit of repentance. 

“You didn’t really. I was distracted by the fight,” I replied. 

“I imagine it is distracting to watch this even of a fight. These two are nearly evenly matched. Like I told Jasper, there’s no fun in an execution,” they said with a smile. They took out a pack of Newport cigarettes from their pocket. “Want one?” They offered me. 

“No thanks,” I said quickly, “wait, why do you have those?”

“Well, chemicals don’t affect vampires, so I can’t experience nicotine or alcohol. But I also can’t be damaged by them, and the heat of a cigarette isn’t strong enough to endanger me. But smoke is warm bordering on hot. Imagine being constantly cold and then having warmth rush through your throat and lungs, filling you up. I’ve found smoking even dampens my need to feed, since the sensations are so similar,” they stopped as they were about to light one, “Oh, do you mind if I light it next to you? I know some humans are more sensitive to smoke than others,” they said with a cigarette lightly placed in the corner of their mouth and a black, Bic lighter in their right hand.

“No, go ahead and smoke. It’s no problem,” I replied. Normally, I don’t like smoke, but Safak’s consideration was unexpected. Plus, I didn’t know about smoke being able to dampen the need to feed. Neither did the Cullens based on their quick but intense stares. 

I looked back to the ongoing fight. They moved too fast for me to really understand what they were doing. Now and then the sharp eyes of the wolves would catch my attention. I had a feeling the wolves were getting more out of this than I was - maybe more than they should. 

Eventually, Carlisle cleared his throat.

Jasper laughed, and took a step back. Edward straightened up and grinned at him.

"Back to work," Jasper consented. "We'll call it a draw."

Everyone took turns, Carlisle, then Rosalie, Esme, and Emmett again. I squinted through my lashes, cringing as Jasper attacked Esme. That one was the hardest to watch. I could tell that Esme knew how to fight, and she seemed to be a quick learner, but the idea of her being hurt pained me. Then he slowed down, still not quite enough for me to understand all of his motions, and gave more detailed instruction. 

"You see what I'm doing here?" he would ask. "Yes, just like that," he encouraged throughout the night.

"Concentrate on the sides. Don't forget where their target will be. Keep moving." Occasionally Safak would chime in and add some tactical input that Jasper hadn’t covered, to Jasper’s delight. Those two could take over the world with their combined military knowledge. I may have been annoyed at Edward’s relaxed tone earlier, but seeing Safak in action helped put me at ease. With someone like them on our side, the balance shifted heavily in our favor.

Edward was always focused, watching and also listening to what others couldn't see. 

It got more difficult to follow as my eyes got heavier. I hadn't been sleeping well lately,  
anyway, and it was approaching a solid twenty-four hours since the last time I'd slept. I  
leaned against Edward's side, and let my eyelids droop. 

"We're about finished," he whispered. 

Jasper confirmed that, turning toward the wolves for the first time, his expression  
uncomfortable again. "We'll be doing this tomorrow. Please feel welcome to observe again." 

"Yes," Edward answered in Sam's cool voice. "We'll be here." 

Then Edward sighed, patted my arm, and stepped away from me. He turned to his family. 

"The pack thinks it would be helpful to be familiar with each of our scents - so they don't make mistakes later. If we could hold very still, it will make it easier for them." 

"Certainly," Carlisle said to Sam, "whatever you need." 

### Safak's POV

There was a gloomy, throaty grumble from the wolf pack as they all rose to their feet. 

Watching Jasper teach Carlisle’s family to fight had been interesting. None of them has seen real combat, and a couple them are a bit too pacifist for my taste. I hope Carlisle doesn’t get hurt. He is too kind in nature for a live or die fight. Now his wife is more interesting in that regard. She oozes kindness, but there’s something there. A determination maybe? To protect her family, I believe she will cease this pacifism.

The deep black of the night was just beginning to fade - the sun brightening the clouds, though it hadn't cleared the horizon yet, far away on the other side of the mountains. As the wolves approached, I gave them my attention 

I am assuming that Sam, the alpha, was in the lead. He was unbelievably huge, black as midnight, a monster straight out of children's’ nightmares. Interesting. They weren’t true werewolves, but they seemed just as lethal. 

Now that I could see them all, match the vastness with each pair of eyes, it looked like more than ten. The pack was quite large. 

Sam approached Carlisle where he stood in the front, the huge pack right on his tail. Jasper stiffened, but Emmett, on the other side of Carlisle, was grinning and relaxed. I quietly arranged myself next to Carlisle, just in case. Sam sniffed at Carlisle, seeming to wince slightly as he did. Then he moved on to me. 

I gave the pack a quick look. There was a light gray wolf that was much smaller than the others, the hackles on the back of her neck raised in distaste. There was another, the color of desert sand, who seemed gangly and uncoordinated beside the rest. A low whine broke through the sandy wolfs control when Sam's advance left him isolated between Carlisle and me. 

I stopped to look at the wolf just behind Sam. His fur was reddish-brown and longer than the others, shaggy in comparison. He was almost as tall as Sam, the second largest in the group. His stance was casual, somehow exuding nonchalance over what the rest obviously considered an ordeal. 

I watched his interaction with Bella with some amusement. 

"Ew! Gross, Jake!" Bella complained, jumping back and smacking at him, just as she would have if he were human. He dodged out of the way, and the coughing bark that came through his teeth was obviously laughter. 

It was at that point that I realized that everyone was also watching them, the Cullens and the werewolves -- the Cullens with perplexed and somewhat disgusted expressions. It was hard to read the wolves' faces. Sam appears unhappy. 

Then the sandy colored, gangly wolf stopped in front of me. He wasn’t as large as the rest, but I still hated being reminded of how short I am. I have to disagree with the Cullens. The wolves don’t smell awful. They smell of nature and inedible humans. Since I live in the woods, so I prefer these scents. 

However, the moment the sandy colored wolf turned from looking at this Jake to me, his eyes locked onto mine. It was stronger than any piercing stare I’d ever felt. It felt like this wolf was looking inside, through, and at me all at once. The field went still as the wolves stopped moving around us and stared at us while the sandy wolf and I continued staring at one another. I was broken out of this when I hear several of the wolves start to grumble and bark at each other. The smaller grey one looked livid, with their hackles raised. 

The other wolves were backing away now, not taking their eyes off the Cullens and me as they departed. The sandy colored one still keep his gaze on me as they left. 

“So, which of you can explain that bit of weird?” I asked the Cullens as the wolves left.

“They are deliberating out in the forest. Jacob will be coming back to explain and speak with Bella. One of the wolves… had a reaction to you that is best explained by them,” Edward replied. Great. My presence pissed off the wolves. And I tried so hard with keeping that awful cheery mask up so I didn’t scare the human. I may be carefree, but it was difficult constantly putting humans this at ease.

A boy started walking out of the treeline, and I assumed this must be Jacob/Jake. The look on his face was torn between wanting to laugh and genuine annoyance. When he caught my eyes looking at him, he stared at me with an appraising look. 

“So, that is awkward,” he said.

“What just happened? Who was that? What’s wrong?” Bella asked the wolf-boy with genuine confusion and concern.

“That… was Seth,” Jacob replied with a controlled voice.

“Did my scent offend this Seth,” I asked jokingly to defuse the situation a little.

“Not quite,” Jacob replied.

“Wait, Seth is a wolf?” Bella asked, obviously miffed that she was left out of what looks like important information. 

“Yes, and the reason everyone freaked out… is well… he just imprinted on this leech,” Jacob told her. Wait, leech? Ouch. Also, imprinting? I’m only more confused at this point. 

A series of disbelieving shouts and disparaging comments erupted around us. Emmett was laughing so hard that he was brought to his knees. 

“Someone, now, explain,” I said with growing annoyance. 

Jacob looked over at me again and seemed to consider his words before speaking. “Imprinting is complicated. It’s like being in a mated pair for vampires except even stronger. Some of us thought it was a way for the ancestors to guide wolves towards those that could carry our genes. Others thought that it was a way of instantly recognizing your soulmate. Now, now we don’t know. But it looks like it may be the latter,” he replied while looking at me. 

“So wait, the sandy colored wolf, this Seth, just what? Identified me as his soulmate?” I asked with disbelief laced in my voice.

“Yes. And we’d like it if you’d be willing to come to a meeting tomorrow morning around nine. A couple wolves will meet you here, and they will escort you across the treaty line to a meeting spot with our elders. We need to speak with our elders tonight, but an imprint… it is a very serious and sacred thing for us. We, the pack and our elders, need to speak with you about this. We will answer any specific questions then, but I’m sure Bella and the Cullens can give you some general information tonight.” he said, completely serious.

“So, to add to the impending onslaught of a newborn army, a teenage wolf just identified me as his soulmate? Am I getting this right?” I replied exasperated.

“Yes. Like I said, this is a serious matter. No one has ever imprinted on a vampire or a guy” -- I’m going to ignore dealing with that clarification for the moment -- “before. It brought up some reconsiderations of what imprinting meant to some of our packmates. However, imprinting is a sacred act, and the person imprinted on by a packmate is untouchable based on our laws. Our worst crime is harming the imprint of a packmate. With you being a vampire, we need to discuss some things,” Jacob said. 

“Fine. But I’m going to want answers. I’ve lived for nearly a thousand years, and I’ve never heard of imprinting. It sounds like it’s going to be an annoying hassle to be honest. You’re talking to someone who really doesn’t believe in love at first sight,” I told him in all honesty. I may be a little annoyed at this, but there’s no reason to not indulge them. Besides, I may think that true love belongs in fairytales, but I’ve been alone for nearly a thousand years.

He nodded at that, “yeah, that part I understand. But like I said, we can talk in-depth tomorrow. I need to talk to Bella as well before I leave,” he said before turning around to continue a conversation with Edward and Bella. 

I turned to Carlisle and he had a smile on his face. 

“Why the smile Carlisle? I have a wolf pup with a spiritual, soulmate level crush on me. This isn’t funny. It’s a nuisance,” I ground out.

“Oh, it’s not funny. It’s exciting. You’ve been alone for nearly a thousand years old my friend. I’ve waited, hoping you’d find someone that makes you happy,” Carlisle said, beaming at me. 

“Ugh,” I groaned at him as we walked towards Esme. “Don’t say things like that Carlisle. I came here to help you wipe out a coven of vampires, not find a boyfriend,” I told him. Romance, while something I’ve always wanted, is going to be messy, and with the current situations of the newborns, the Volturi, Bella, and now this imprint, tomorrow is going to give me a headache.

“Hello Esme. I apologize for not meeting you sooner than this, but I’ve been a bit anti-social these last few centuries. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you; Carlisle has told me nothing but good things about you,” I greeted Esme when we met up with her. 

“Oh it’s no problem. I’m just glad I get to meet you,” she replied with a smile, “Carlisle has mentioned you over the years, but he never went in to detail on your powers or history. He always reminded me of a school boy explaining his closest childhood friends when he talked about you -- silly stories and happy memories.”

“Oh Carlisle, a school boy?” I said with a grin. If he could have blushed, I know he would have. 

“I may have been a little exuberant. I never had the chance to introduce you to my family, but I didn’t want to share any personal details in case you wanted to keep them to yourself. We may be close, but I wasn’t sure what you’d want to keep private old friend,” Carlisle replied, trying to explain himself.

“Carlisle,” I said through chuckles, “I’m not that private. I may have that little compound in the wilderness, but I don’t mind if you tell your family about me. You could've just asked my permission to discuss my past with your family during one of our phone calls. Learning my history in the middle of a fighting situation made that scene in the field a bit tense,” I said with a mild rebuke in my tone.

“He gets absent minded sometimes. I think it stems from him wanting to be considerate and kind, but that sometimes leads to these little misunderstandings,” Emse added.

“Still, I feel we’re on uneven ground. I know about Carlisle’s entire family and history, yet you know nothing of me. Carlisle, when we get to your house you have to fill in your family,” I tell him.

“You’re right, I do. Edward got a good amount of information from our minds just now, but I need to call him to give him some details. If I know Bella, she is going to be after him for information. He has left her in the dark without full knowledge too many times,” Carlisle said with humor.

“Has he now?” I ask. 

“Sadly, yes. When we get home, I will tell you the full story from when we met her, but Edward has made some mistakes. I want to talk to him about them, but I’m not sure how to go about it,” Carlisle said a bit heavily. 

“Sometimes the blunt approach is best my love. Edward’s paranoia and regret is leaving him a bit controlling and unpredictable. He needs to change some behaviors,” Esme told Carlisle. 

“I agree with Esme Carlisle. You may not want to alienate your son, but for Bella’s sake, you can’t let his guilt and anxiety dictate his actions. It isn’t healthy. Or fair to her,” I chide.

“You’re both right. You seemed to get along with Bella quite fine. Would you mind trying to find out, from her perspective, what might be best to discuss with Edward?” Carlisle asked me. 

“Of course old friend. Now, I must know. Esme, what silly stories did Carlisle tell you? I feel that he may not have told me stories that paint him in a more embarrassing light. Would you mind filling me in Esme?” I ask her with a grin. 

“I’d love to,” she said cutting him off with a cheshire smile, “it’s a little ways back to our house, I’m sure I can tell you the best couple stories before then.”

### Edward’s POV

“So, what was all that about the Butcher of Jerusalem?” Bella asks me as soon as we’re alone. 

“According to the stories that I’ve heard from Carlisle and nomads, the Butcher of Jerusalem is one of the most powerful vampires in our world. What Carlisle failed to tell me and our family is his closest friend was that vampire. Honestly, he is going to get an earful from everyone tonight. Anyways, I apologize for not telling you about these stories. At first, I didn’t want to frighten you. Then, I forgot about mentioning them to be honest,” I told her. 

“I feel bad for Carlisle,” she said with a chuckle, “but you need to stop censoring what you tell me. I know you want to spare me from some things because you think it’s being kind or sparing my innocence. But it is maddening. I’m left as the only fool that isn’t in the loop,” she told me with irritation in her voice. She’s right. Not telling her everything has done nothing but irritate her and lead to trouble.

“I’m sorry. I really am. But I’ll happily tell you now,” I say with regret in my voice, “Safak is a game changer essentially. As for the pronoun usage I mentioned to you, it would appear they have a viewpoint on the world that negates their own personal gender. Instead of understanding gender as fluid, Safak does not register gender as a factor of their selfhood. It’s more like neutrois than fluidity -- hence the they/them preference.”

“That makes sense, but what about this name, the Butcher of Jerusalem?” She asked me.

“Safak is powerful Bella. In short, they once waged war against the entire Volturi, and the result was a stalemate,” I said.

“Wait, like the entire guard?” She asked with wide eyes. 

“Yes. During the crusades, vampires were still not fully under the jurisdiction of the Volturi. They had defeated the Romanian coven, but they hadn’t subjugated the Egyptians yet. And during the crusades, human armies were not the only ones ravaging the land. Vampire armies rose and fell during the carnage. Safak, the Butcher of Jerusalem was one of them. They had no armies behind them, but they were just as deadly. You heard them at the field, the largest coven they destroyed consisted of 87 vampires. When the Volturi came to clean the Holy Lands of vampires, they eventually met the Butcher of Jerusalem. After finding that they could not defeat one another and only came to a standstill, both sides came to a non-confrontation agreement. They agreed to cease fighting and not interact with one another thereafter, on the condition that Safak not break the Volturi’s cardinal rule.”

“Why didn’t Safak just come back later and wipe them out?” Bella asked with genuine confusion. 

“It was hard to get any definites from Safak’s mind; their thoughts are more random and fleeting than most. It’s like navigating a maze of mirrors. I am filling in a lot of this information from what I saw and from Carlisle’s phone call after we left. From what I saw in their head, apathy. They agree with the Volturi’s rule, even if they hate the Volturi. If they wiped out the Volturi, they’d have to take up their mantle as the governing body of the vampires. Safak won’t face the Volturi unless they threaten either themself or Carlisle. However, that might mean our concerns about the Volturi might be lessened now,” I replied based on what I saw in Safak’s thoughts.

“Do you think Safak would stop the Volturi from coming after us?” Bella asked, with a hint of both hope and fear. Why the fear?

“Maybe. Maybe not. Like I said, they agree with the rule. They were confused as to why you hadn’t been turned yet. But their hate for the Volturi is deep, almost as deep as their loyalty to Carlisle. However, their appearance does have two major impacts on our lives,” I said with a smirk growing on my face.

“What are those?” She replied.

“Firstly, the newborns will be decimated with them by our side. Secondly… our relationship with the Pack will be getting a lot more interesting,” I replied. Hopefully, with Seth imprinting on Safak, this should resolve the tension with the pack, but I’ve heard the Butcher of Jerusalem was mercurial by nature. Hopefully Safak proves that to be rumors. Otherwise, this situation will go from tense to nuclear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a picture of Safak's outfit, not face, on my tumblr account -- weepformeomega, blog name Faithful Lover of the Chubby Unicorns.


End file.
